Rachel Jeanette
expands into Southern Gospel By Jantina Baksteen
I recently spoke with Rachel Jeanette, a young lady who has already had an amazing career as a model, actress and vocalist. She now finds her music being accepted by Southern gospel fans and radio. Enjoy the story of how this 28-year-old has grown in her artistic skills as well as grown in the Lord, in spite of her early success. “My parents put me in vocal and piano lessons at a very young age,” begins Rachel. “Even as a little baby, I would climb up on the piano and try to copy my mom. I’m a hard worker and strong believer in doing everything with excellence, so when I put myself into something, I never do it halfheartedly. The same came with music, acting, and modeling. I’m thankful to have so many mentors, pastors, and friends that encouraged me along the way.” Her parents have been married for 41 years, and she calls them her best friends and biggest supporters. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Rachel attended Trevecca Nazarene University for music with a vocal emphasis. She has been consistently involved in acting, modeling, performances, and worship teams, so the major in Trevecca was a natural progression.
Now, Rachel has released a brand new project called ‘Heart Wide Open,’ with the song title ‘Awake My Soul.’ A beautiful song with a timely message, the words have touched people far and wide in this uncommon world in which we find ourselves. “I sat down with my friend, producer Isaac Blalock, and I just started playing worship songs that have ministered to me,” Rachel says. “We picked a few that just felt right and decided to record them right before the virus struck the U.S.A. I only did a few vocal passes, and one or two piano passes, so it is a really raw recording. I wanted the listeners to feel like they were in the room worshipping with me, rather than having an overproduced, perfect recording. We decided to release it to bring hope and encouragement to people in this time of uncertainty.” There was no way to tell what would happen in the days and months following the recording of these worship tunes. Rachel admits, “When I chose ‘Awake My Soul,’ I had no idea there would be a virus hitting the world. It just felt right at the time, and now I believe it was God’s way of reminding His people to have personal awakening in their lives, as we realize the importance of church, family, health, and His presence.”
